Oud-Heverlee Leuven — widely known as OH Leuven or OHL — was founded in 2002 through the merger of three clubs from the Leuven area in the Flemish Brabant region of Belgium: F.C. Zwarte Duivels Oud-Heverlee (est. 1957), K. Stade Leuven (est. 1905), and K. Daring Club Leuven (est. 1922). The new club inherited the registration of Zwarte Duivels and began competing in the Belgian Third Division, with the white home kit incorporating the green of Stade Leuven, the black of Zwarte Duivels, and the red of Daring Leuven.
From those third-tier beginnings, the club gradually climbed the Belgian football pyramid. After winning promotion to the second division in 2005, OH Leuven spent several seasons consolidating before claiming the Belgian Second Division title in the 2010–11 season, earning a place in the top flight — the first time a Leuven club had been in the First Division since Stade Leuven's single season there in 1949–50. That milestone gave the city of Leuven sustained top-flight representation for the first time in its history.
The club's ownership changed significantly in 2017 when Thai duty-free retailer King Power, led by Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha — who also owned Leicester City — took over, bringing greater financial stability and a trans-national footballing identity. Following Vichai's tragic death in 2018, the King Power group retained ownership. OH Leuven currently competes in the Belgian Pro League, the country's top division, playing their home matches at Stadion Den Dreef in the Heverlee suburb of Leuven.